Angel Dust on 1/3/2013 at 23:27
Has anyone else played this? It's so far the best thing I've played this year.
It's a point 'n' click adventure but one of those minimalist ones where most of the puzzles have been removed. So you just wander around, exploring and talking. What stops that from being unspeakably dull is magnificent atmosphere and the masterful way it uses text[sup]1[/sup], sound[sup]2[/sup] and image[sup]3[/sup] to create it. You play Conway, an antiques delivery driver out on a job at night in rural Kentucky. You pull into a gas station looking for directions, since the address you're looking for doesn't appear to be on the map, and are told the only way to get there is via the titular Zero. This sets you off on an eerie, melancholy and quietly surreal adventure with a vibe that reminds me a lot of a Murakami novel (If that comparison means nothing to you, think a Twilight Zone episode or a David Lynch film without the perversion) I don't want to talk too much about specifics because discovering things and making the connections is where the fun is; just make sure you explore the map so you don't miss any of the encounters.
It's planned as a multi-episode series but this first episode totally works as a self-contained experience. In fact, I do wonder how well the ambiguity of the storytelling is going to hold up in subsequent episodes.
[sup]1[/sup] Dialog is terse and naturalistic, and the prose in general evocative without being flashy and desperate to impress. Basically, I would read a book written by this gal/guy.
[sup]2[/sup] Each sound is carefully and deliberately placed and there is a Lynchian understanding of just when to deploy a piece of music for maximum hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck effect.
[sup]3[/sup] Screenshots showcase the striking visual style well but what they miss is the subtlety of movement. The camera often pans and zooms slowly with the character giving it a quite meditative feel.
june gloom on 2/3/2013 at 01:12
I had to break off partway in to run some errands, but my first impression is that it captures that slightly creepy feeling of mid-summer nights where the moon's not out and everything's quiet, like the whole world's disappeared. I used to have summer nights like this on a regular basis when I was a child; I rarely see it now, thanks to six million fucking streetlights. Maybe if I have a chance this year I'll drive out to the old ruins of Utopia, OH and spend the night.
demagogue on 2/3/2013 at 05:01
I played a bit of it. What struck me was the way the interface or the game was kind of playing with you. I won't give any spoilers, but I just mean generally, in the (unexpected) selections it gives you, or being put in a situation you didn't expect a game would put you in if it were being straight with you... You suspect there's method to it, it's ambiguous what's going on but evocative that it's something... And it has a kind of spirit that manages to be a little dark but playful at the same time.
Angel Dust on 5/6/2013 at 01:45
Well, the second episode is out now. It gets off to a bit of a slow start, the bureaucratic shenanigans in the opening section didn't really do much for me, but the museum, which does marvelous things with narrative perspective, plus the closing area, which I will not spoil and I'm not even sure if I could such is the sublime way it blends image/sound/text, are simply astonishing. If the game keeps on going like his it will be my GOTY by a considerable margin.
Thirith on 5/6/2013 at 06:37
Sounds like you're pretty much in agreement with RPS's John Walker then. KRZ Act 2 is at the top of my to-play list, right after I either finish replaying GTA IV or give up on it. Very much looking forward to this!
june gloom on 5/6/2013 at 08:43
It already is my GOTY. Just amazing.
SubJeff on 20/8/2013 at 16:19
Why did no one tell me about this?
faetal on 20/8/2013 at 16:42
Dethtoll's been pretty vocal about it.
SubJeff on 20/8/2013 at 18:57
Where?
I just saw the trailer today. I'm all over it once I'm done with Gone Home and Fez.
Loving this indie phase.
Renault on 20/8/2013 at 19:04
Check out Dream too.
